Some cleaners claim that they gently clean and then
hand-iron ALL their laundered shirts. As a matter of routine.
Can this be true?
Of course it's not true.
Show me a cleaner in the metro Phoenix area -- other than RAVE
FabriCARE - that gently cleans and then hand-irons ALL your
laundered shirts as a matter of routine, and I'll show you pigs
that fly!
By way of background, here's what happens to your laundered
shirts -- even at the so-called "better cleaners" ...
Your shirt is laundered using conventional washing techniques --
scrubbing; hot water; harsh, caustic, industrial grade detergents;
and bleaches.
Then it's pressed on a series of machines: one for the body, one
for the sleeves and one for the collar and cuffs. Typically, at the
rate of 40 to 50 per hour.
This is the "machine pressed laundered shirt" that's
passed off to customers as a hand ironed laundered
shirt.
Now, if the cleaner is feeling particularly charitable, they'll
"strategically touch up" your shirt by hand ... if deemed
necessary...if you're lucky. And then, typically, only on the
sleeves and underarms.
This is the "hand finished laundered shirt" that's
passed off to customers as a hand-ironed laundered
shirt.
Unfortunately, a 2 to 3 minute hand finished laundered shirt is
NOT a 8 to 1
2 minute hand-ironed
laundered shirt.
To qualify as a hand-ironed laundered shirt, the shirt must be
PARTIALLY steamed by machine and then COMPLETELY pressed by hand
(that's a hand-ironed laundered shirt). Not COMPLETELY pressed by
machine and then PARTIALLY touched up by hand...if you're lucky
(that's a hand finished laundered shirt).
At RAVE FabriCARE, we're different. Very different, in fact!
First, we soak your fine shirts in
siloxane, our odorless, dermatologically friendly, fabric
gentle dry cleaning fluid. This is the only way to safely and
gently dissolve oil-based stains -- such as body oil, creams and
lotions, and other grease deposits -- without scrubbing your
collars and cuffs with hard-bristled brushes and "collar/cuff
solution". This is also the only way to ensure that, when your
shirt is finally hand ironed, those body oils and grease deposits
don't transform or oxidize through heat into difficult-to-remove
yellow stains.
Next, we soak your shirts in special solutions to relax the
fibers. And release soil and water-based stains. For a minimum of
12 hours (24 hours for shirts with french cuffs).
Why is soaking critical to the care of fine shirts? Because
soaking reduces the wear and tear that would result from the use of
conventional washing techniques (aka the scrubbing/hot
water/industrial detergent/bleach method).
After soaking, we gently launder your fine shirts in
specialized, computer-controlled wet cleaning machines, where
microprocessors control water temperature, cylinder speeds,
mechanical action and moisture removal to exacting specifications.
Using only the finest pH balanced, fragrance free, phosphate free
Sanitone® enzyme
detergents. In cool to warm water. Never hot.
Finally, every laundered shirt is steamed and hand ironed. As a
matter of routine. Not machine pressed and then "strategically
touched up"...if deemed necessary...if you're lucky.
At RAVE FabriCARE, we'd never pass off a machine pressed
laundered shirt or a hand finished laundered shirt as a hand ironed
laundered shirt in the hope that you'd never know the difference
between a $1/$2 machine pressed laundered shirt or hand finished
laundered shirt and a $6/$14 hand-ironed laundered shirt.
Any ordinary cleaner can "clean and press" a shirt in 6 to 8
hours. But only RAVE FabriCARE crafts an extraordinary shirt.
How can I help you?